oh yeah...one more thing...
in one of my last blogs...i said that i was going to pick something to do for 21 days. lately i've gotten really into running. i used to run way back sometime when i was a pre-teen. i remember cross country meets... and specifically breathing into a paper bag to stop from hyperventalating at the end of one...anyways, that's besides the point! i have been running and it's been so great! plus there are a lot of really beautiful places to run in this city...like for instance, to gasworks park. if any of you watch the amazing race, the season on right now started in seattle at
gasworks park....
sweet.
DTS Begins
so .. it's been a while since I last updated in these parts. the reason is, that i've basically been running from dts meeting to dts meeting and getting rooms set up and door signs ready and welcome baskets finished...and after many times of prayer and trips to target, costco & ikea, the students began arriving on Saturday of last week. It's hard to believe that they haven't yet been here one week. I feel like i've known them all for at least a few months.
the group ranges in age from 17-25. It's a great group of students (all 15 of 'em). There are 2 girls from Norway, 1 girl from Calgary (woo hoo for the Canuck!!), and the rest are all Americans.
i feel like a theme in the school already is
truth. being true to who you are, who God made you to be, and walking in truth. and i feel that God is wanting to do some very specific stuff in my own life regarding this. learning more about my identity, who i want to be, not what others want me to be, not even what i want myself to
want to be. does this make sense? i have been having some good talks with our first speaker in the DTS, Patrick Dodson. (check out his links, i really appreciate the angle he takes on life and spirituality) He would say that the only time we will really feel fulfilled is when we're living according to who we truly are (of course, in Christ). But in this society...finding who you truly are is quite the feat. There are just so many things interrupting my sense of self.
so anyways, i'm so excited for this next 5 months. i'm excited to get to know the students, weekly outreaches, learning and growing, listening to some great teaching and working hard too. please think of me in your prayers...this time takes a lot of energy and between the early mornings and very busy schedules it's easy to run oneself ragged pretty quick.
.love to you all.
21 Days of Something
...yep, this is the book i'm reading currently. david crowder is quite the comical guy alongside of having many really solid things to say. as one would assume by the title: "PRAISE HABIT", it's about making praise...a habit, which i'm sure we've all struggled with a time or two.
i liked this bit:
"Years ago a friend told me that an action repeated for a minimum of twenty-one days is likely to become a permanent habit. So I thought I'd give it a shot. I would choose a habit that was nonsensical but not too nonsensical...."
(it ends up working ... but that's all i will tell you because i think you should read it)
so i've been thinking of challenging myself to do the same. i haven't yet picked a "habit", but i have a few ideas. and obviously, i want to make praise a habit; something that just comes naturally. i don't want to have to think about it being my first response. i want it to come out of who i am. oh, and i'll let you know how i do.
